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Phillip Fulmer ‘roast’ is more of a toast

CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL Former University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer pauses for a photo with former UT football players and coaches during the Phillip Fulmer roast to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank on Saturday at the Knoxville Convention Center.(Photo: CAITIE MCMEKIN)

It took a while for what sounded like a toast to turn into the scheduled roast Saturday night.

Former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer was the alleged target as dozens of his old players, coaches and teammates gathered at the Knoxville Convention Center in a sold out gala benefit for Second Harvest.

Most of what was said, however, sounded like a testimonial. The barbs were late developing. Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, in absentia, took more abuse than Fulmer.

'This is all in good fun for a great cause,'' Fulmer said prior to the first shot being fired. 'I told my roasters I've got two sheets (of remarks). If they're nice to me, I'll be nice to them.

'But I get the last conversation.'

His turn finally did come.

'I love these guys,'' he said. 'Probably not as much as I did at the start of the evening.''

Fulmer played at UT, was a longtime assistant coach then took over as head coach from 1993-2008. The 1998 national championship was first referenced by Jamal Lewis at 7:36 p.m. Applause followed.